Bravery and Gratitude

19 Oct Bravery and Gratitude

Sales and marketing are not often thought of as rugged or tough professions. Salespeople are not generally defying odds and risking personal safety to protect and serve the community. One thing I endure as a salesman that would make most people shudder in fear is the “Cold Call”. Cold calling is unannounced contact. It is the fine art of just showing up at a business in hopes of speaking to a decision maker. “Hi, I’m Jason. I was in the neighborhood and came in hoping to speak with an owner or Manager today. Is anyone available?”

I often joke with Joe, our Founder, that cold calling is like dating: The first time you meet is like an interview, and you get turned down on a regular basis. However, like dating, there are the magical connections where the stars have aligned and Mercury came out of retrograde for a moment and the birds’ sing and the Owner is there and he loves what you are proposing and you develop a relationship based on mutual respect and love…of FOOD!

My quest to bring deliciousness to the good people of New England has gotten me to stop in to pretty much every restaurant I see – I am definitely going to need a brake job by next spring. Though some restaurants are simply not interested in online ordering or delivery, many see it as an opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and to reach a new demographic; the ONLINE CUSTOMER (people who only buy things on their phone or mobile device). Regardless of the outcome of the cold call, I must say that most of the small business owners have been insightful and quite supportive of our offering. The thing that gives us the fortitude to make countless cold calls on a daily basis is the support of people in the communities we are in.

We live in a dog-eat-dog world (pardon the food pun), where more often than not people root against you instead of supporting you. I cannot fully express the feeling of gratitude we have to the people we encounter on a daily basis. I mention FoodSquire to my banker, she loves the concept and downloads the app. Two people overhear us and they actually cut in on our conversation to wish me luck. Having the support of the community is truly a great feeling, and that feeling keeps us pushing forward. We are coming to your town, and we are bringing food with us!